Bow Ties with Sweet Potatoes and Canadian Bacon

By MJH

Bow-tie pasta with slices of sweet potato, diced Canadian bacon, and tomato puree form a harmonious dish of varied flavors, shapes, and colors.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 onion, halved and cut into thin slices
• 1 sweet potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried sage or thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 16-ounce can)
• 1/2 pound Canadian bacon, diced
• 3/4 pound bow ties

Details

Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat.

Add the onion and sweet potato and toss to coat with the oil.

Add the water, cover, and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the sage, cayenne, salt, and tomatoes.

Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the sweet potato is tender and the sauce thickened, about 15 minutes.

Add the Canadian bacon and remove from the heat.


In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the bow ties until just done, about 15 minutes.

Drain and toss the pasta with the sauce.



Variations:
• Bow Ties with Sweet Potatoes and Ham Dice 1/2 pound of ham and use it in place of the Canadian bacon.

• Bow Ties with Canadian Bacon and Squash Peel and dice 1/2 pound of winter squash, such as butternut or Hubbard, and use it in place of the sweet potato. Depending on the type of squash, you may need to adjust the simmering time by a few minutes.